Synchrotron Radiation in Art and Archaeology

Introduction

The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York, the Conservation Center at the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University,
the Winterthur Museum, Cornell University and Brookhaven National Laboratory are
organizing the Fifth International Conference
on Synchrotron Radiation in Art and Archaeology (SR2A 2012) in New York City.

The conference is open to all interested professionals, including
conservators, conservation scientists, scientists with experience utilizing large-scale
research facilities and other analytical techniques, curators, cultural heritage
managers, art historians, students, potential users of synchrotrons, etc. The
venue is intended to provide an unprecedented opportunity for professionals from
America and world-wide to meet and share their expertise and experience.

Scope

The central theme of the SR2A series of conferences is the innovative use of
methods employing synchrotron radiation (and/or
related types of radiation) for the
(non-destructive) investigation of artistic and archaeological materials
and artifacts.

Since the first edition of the conference
(Grenoble, France, 2005), SR2A has become a forum for discussion and
presentation of up-to-date activities regarding the use of penetrating forms of
radiation for non-invasive inspection and analysis of precious materials from
the past.

The emphasis of the fifth edition of SR2A will be placed on the manner in
which synchrotron radiation and other types of penetrating radiation
(THz, neutrons, ...) can be used together to
characterize artists' materials and archaeological artifacts. Contributions will
focus on the exploration of new analytical frontiers, and will
also address research challenges of curators, conservators and other
professionals working in the cultural heritage field.

The goal of the Conference is to highlight the spectrum of synchrotron techniques which can be
applied to the study of objects of cultural heritage, demonstrate representative
cultural heritage synchrotron studies, and, boost interactions of cultural
heritage scientists with the Synchrotron community in the United States and
worldwide.

Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of
Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook
University, and Battelle, a nonprofit,
applied science and technology organization.